An EyeOpening Deceit
by BBSapphire24
Summary: When a stranger shows up at Fork's High School Bella is forced to take a good look at her best friend. What happens when the one person you thought you could trust isn't the person you thought they were? Written for the Friday Free For All.


_**A/N:**__ This is a standalone piece I wrote specifically for the Friday Free For All. A huge thank you goes to __**AHizelm**__ for beta'ing this for me. It wouldn't be here without you._

_I do not own Twilight, that all belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

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It's the first day of my senior year. The morning is foggy and damp, but the weather man promises a brighter afternoon. I climb into my old Jeep Grand Cherokee and head over to my best friend's. After a summer of heartbreak, I spent the last week cheering her up. Just as I pull into the drive of the old three story farmhouse, she steps through the door. It takes her a minute to notice me and, as I wave to her, movement in my rearview mirror catches my attention. A silver Mercedes Benz pulls in behind my car; its horn beeps once.

Alice waves once before she makes her way over.

"Hey Bella, what are you doing here?" She's confused by my presence.

"Hi Alice. Aren't we going to school together?" My question lingers in the air, but Alice's silence says enough.

She glances quickly behind us, and a peek in my mirror shows an impatient Lauren Mallory gabbing away at Jessica Stanley. "It's fine Alice. Go with them. They are already here. I'll just see you in first period."

"Thanks, Bella. I appreciate it," Alice calls over her shoulder as she walks away.

I love Alice, even on the days she is forgetful. I know she cares for me on some level and some days are harder than others, but isn't that what friendships are all about? I told myself on the harder days that no matter what, friends are always there for each other. Alice and I have been close since elementary school. We're next door neighbors and our parents get together often; it only made sense that we become best friends. Throughout elementary and middle school we were inseparable.

The drive to school is short and I still feel a little frustrated. A call or even a text would be appreciated and the five minute ride is not sufficient time to talk myself down from my annoyance. The last week before school had been spent covered in tissues, reassuring my friend with ice cream.

_The buzzing of my phone woke me up. Groggily, I grabbed the offending device and looked at my clock. One in the morning. _Who the hell would be calling me now?_ I thought to myself. I should have known. Alice was on the other end, and her words barely broke through her sobs. In our five minute conversation, I understood two words: "come over."_

_And, without a second thought, I did._

_Alice always spent her summers away, either at an exotic beach or, more rarely, with family. Two summers were spent in Texas with her cousin, Cynthia. Little did Alice know she would be meeting the man of her dreams during one of those trips. Those dreams were all crushed during her last visit. Alice had expected him there, arms open, waiting for her. _

_Sobs wracked Alice's body, and her tears fell steadily. _

_"When he wasn't at the airport I... assumed he would be at the house." Alice blew her nose. Crumpled up white tissues covered most of her queen mattress and littered her floor. "I went to the beach where we met, thinking he might be there, and that's when I saw him." Her sobs stopped briefly; her fists clenched and eyes narrowed. Alice was angry._

_"Wait. You saw Jasper on the beach? Isn't that good, honey?" I rubbed her knee in an attempt to comfort her, trying to hide my confusion and urge her on, all at once._

_"NO," Alice screamed, "it was NOT good Bella." I instinctively cowered away from her voice just in time to avoid the tissue box being launched across the room. "He was with someone else! Laying on OUR blanket, with OUR picnic basket..." She was up, pacing the length of her bedroom, and her breathless sobs had returned._

_"I'm so sorry, Alice." I didn't know what to do. My natural reaction was to hug her, but I didn't. My body stayed rooted to her bed as I watched her. "What happened?" I wasn't sure I really wanted to know the answer to my question, afraid she'd lose control and lash out at me._

_"What do you think happened? I turned around and went home. He crushed me Bella! I thought this was forever; he promised to wait for me. Jasper was everything I had been looking for... good looking, a gentleman, hot in the sack, and all around great." _

_I expected more of her anger, so I was shocked when Alice collapsed back on the bed and cried. I comforted my friend._

_The next week was spent mostly at the Cullens', going home only to shower and change. Sometimes Alice would send me out for her favorite ice cream when she'd finished the last. The days began to blur together and sometimes it felt like I was walking on egg shells. Carlisle and Esme were careful not to say the wrong thing for fear of reminding Alice of him. As the week ended and the beginning of school approached, Alice started getting better. It was a relief to see her smiling again, even if it_ _only happened when Lauren Mallory called._

_Lauren had called early Friday evening to "catch up" and see how Alice's summer was. I took the opportunity to go home and shower before returning to my best friend. I was shocked when I got out of my bathroom to find a text from Alice. _

_**Lauren and Jess invited me out for a girl's night. Assumed you didn't want to come. Call you tomorrow. xoxo Alice. **_

_A small fire ignited deep inside of me as thoughts raced through my mind. _How could she just ditch me like that? After I was there for her all week?_ Before my thoughts got out of control, I stopped myself__, __taking deep breaths to calm down, reassuring myself that a distraction was all she needed__. __Lauren and Jess weren't my favorite people anyway; spending time with them wasn't on my list of priorities_.

A loud horn pulls me from my memory, and I look up to see a line of traffic behind me. Rehashing the last week did not help calm me down and my annoyance was flaring. When I arrive at the school parking lot, I find a spot quickly and park. I grab my bag and head over to my usual picnic bench. On my way, I see Alice, talking animatedly, surrounded by a group of my classmates. My eyes roll without thought and the decision to read before class seems that much smarter. A fight with Alice is not something either of us needs.

Pulling out my copy of _Wuthering Heights, _I settle into my spot. There is an hour before first period, which leaves me plenty of time before class with Alice. Students slowly swarm the school campus. While it's overcast and damp, it is still pretty warm. Chatter fills the area, but it is easy for me to tune out. Only when the first bell rings am I pulled from the escape of my book.

The hallways are crowded as the students file in. Stories of their summers are shared while teachers "advise" that we get to class.

That's when I start to notice the whispers.

Most of the student body is excited and can't contain themselves. I listen in an effort to find out what is going on, but before I can find anything out, the second bell rings, andthe mass of students break up. People shove their way through the crowd to get to class on time and, before I know it, I am standing outside of Biology.

I enter the classroom to find the girls huddled in a group in the back, Alice no where in sight. My stomach tightens with anxiety and my thoughts go to the worst case scenario. I fight my dislike for the group and weasel my way to the middle where I find Alice. She is in tears and everyone is watching her like a zoo animal, fake words of comfort being thrown at her. Pulling Alice from her seat, I drag her to the closest bathroom. Once we are behind the closed door, it all pours out.

"He's... here! At _my _school!" Alice's arms are flailing around her tiny frame, and her make up is smeared. I have no idea what she is talking about, so I let her continue, hoping she will give me more details. "Of course, it's just my luck. I can't have a decent damn day, can I? What did I ever do?"

Her rant continues, and I can't decide if interrupting to ask what's going on would be a good idea or not. Just as I'm about to ask, Alice looks me straight in the eye, clearly exasperated, and says the one name I least expected.

"Jasper. He's HERE, Bella!"

I am at a loss for words as Alice stares at me, waiting for my reaction.

What do I do? Do I say I'm sorry? That seems silly. While I am sorry she is dealing with Jasper showing up here, it is not going to make her feel better and will probably irritate her. I could become angry on her behalf, but fueling her already raging temper seems like a bad idea. Just as my mouth falls open and I wait for the perfect words to fall out, Jessica barrels through the door.

"Alice! I talked to Mr. Berti and told him your... situation. You can go home. Lauren and I will give you a ride. Come on." Jessica wraps her arm around Alice's shoulder and leads her out of the room, never acknowledging me.

Left gawking in the bathroom, I try to gather my thoughts. My mind is everywhere at once. Worry for Alice. Anger over Jasper's arrival. Curiosity. Jessica. Anger Again.

I am getting no where.

My day is a blur of motions. It is the first day back; the teachers give us the basic jist of classes and what they expect. When lunch rolls around, I am tired and bored. Given Alice's drama today, I decide to sit alone and read.

When I look up again the cafeteria is empty and everyone has moved on to their next period. I am so enthralled with my book I miss the bell's ring and all of the commotion. When I realize this I immediately scan the area. There is one other person in the room. Jasper. He seems tall but I can't tell because he is sitting. He is across the room, sitting alone with his iPod on, sketching. Obviously, he's missed everything, too.

I am torn. I am already late for class and, from everything Alice has told me, I hate him. But... I would hope someone would let me know if I miss a bell. Do I take the chance of having to talk to Jasper or walk away?

With a heavy sigh, I pack up my things and head toward him. Once I'm at the opposite end of the long rectangular table, I toss a crumpled piece of paper at him.

He's startled and when Jasper looks up at me, I wave my arm around, gesturing to the empty room. Jasper's eyes scan the cafeteria before he focuses back on me. Without a word, I turn and walk away. I know that is rude, and he has no idea why but I comfort my conscience with the thought that I said anything at all. I could have just let him sit there.

It took me a minute to hear someone yell behind me, and then I feel long fingers wrap around my arm. They pull lightly, forcing me to stop and look at him. I meet his blue eyes, they are shockingly gorgeous and welcoming. His blonde hair somehow complements his tan complexion, an effect from spending time in the Texas sun. Jasper is a little out of breath from chasing me so he takes a minute to catch it. In that minute I remember who this is and wipe the smile off my face.

Once again, I turn from him, only this time I am left with the image of those blue eyes.

"Hey, wait!" Jasper calls. I ignore him and continue on my way. He catches up with me and pulls me to a stop a little firmer this time.

I raise my eyebrows, questioning his actions. My glare is cold. I glance down at his hand wrapped around my arm and Jasper stutters a bit, "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. I am just trying to thank you, and you keep walking away." He looks flustered. For a moment, I almost feel bad for the way I treated him. He seems nice, but I know better and this is just his way of luring you in.

"I'm Jasper, by the way. I don't think we've met." He reaches out his hand. Just as the thought of kissing him starts to creep into my brain I realize what he is doing. I am frustrated that I almost fell for his charm.

"I believe you know my friend Alice Brandon?" I say as I shake Jasper's hand. His face pales and his jaw drops. "Yeah, I thought that would get your attention," I finish.

Jasper looks up and down the empty hallway, "Is she here?" He almost sounds weary with a hint of hope.

"No. And do me a favor. Stay away from her." My voice is firm.

"What?" Confusion laces his words. Before he can say anymore, the bell rings. Students fill the hallway, some noticing Jasper and me. I take the opportunity and walk away.

I should not be surprised when Alice skips into my room thirty minutes after I'm home from school, but I am. Alice is perky and her smile is bright, which is the complete opposite of what I saw this morning. I know my best friend and something is up. I decide to play along.

"Hey Alice. How are you? Are you feeling any better than this morning?" I sit down on my bed and Alice follows. She likes to talk about herself, and being the center of attention is what she craves.

I watch as the perkiness fades from Alice's face. She considers her response for a moment then huffs before responding, "I'm shocked, and hurt. My life is being ruined and no one seems to care."

"Of course people care! I care Alice, and you know I am here for you."

"Well if you care about me so much," Alice's look changes to something resembling a glare, "then why were you talking to Jasper today? In front of the entire school?"

I find myself speechless with about a million questions running through my head. _How did she know about this? What is she so worried about?_ "I tried avoiding him Alice, but he ran me down and wouldn't let me walk away. Literally." I am about to continue with a detailed description of what happened, but my curiosity makes me wait.

The wheels seem to be turning in Alice's head. I wait to see what her reaction to the little bit of information I shared is. "What did he want? Did he say anything about me?"

"To thank me. Alice, I know you still have feelings for him, but you need to forget him, for your own good." My first assumption is she wants to know what he says because she still cares about him, and I almost miss the fear in her eyes before the relief slips in.

"Thank you for what?" Suspicion is now replacing her relief. "What could he possibly feel the need to thank _you_ for?" Alice is cold and defensive.

I know my best friend loves me, but that does nothing for the pain jabbing at my heart. Alice has never been great at phrasing her thoughts, so I do my best to ignore her words and see past the hurt.

"We both got wrapped up in the cafeteria and missed the bell. It's not like I made plans to go out with him, I just showed him the room was empty." Now, I'm in defensive mode myself. I'm not sure why I feel like I need to defend my talking to Jasper to Alice, but I do.

"Ok. Well, I need to get back home, get some rest, you know? I'm just so emotionally drained from the day, and I apparently have to go back to school tomorrow." Alice is already half way out the door. "Oh, and I'm catching a ride with Lauren and Jess in the morning, so don't worry about coming over."

With that, Alice is gone and I am left with my thoughts. _What the hell was that? _I know and accept Alice's attitude, I also know how selfish and self-centered she is.

I can also tell when she's bullshitting.

And she's definitely hiding something. My suspicions are high, so I plan on pushing her just a tad and to do that, I'll need to talk to Jasper again.

I decide I'll just say hello to Jasper at first. He's quick to respond, and we talk about how his classes are going. Our conversations start simple, but are still enthusiastic and we find we have a lot in common. We both like the color blue and he's also just discovering my favorite band. Each day the conversations get a little deeper; I find out Jasper played baseball back in Texas and I tell him about when I took ballet.

It's not a surprise when Alice stops talking to me completely. Her initial reaction makes me wonder what's going on, and even makes me wonder if there is more to what happened with Jasper. But I know better than to push her.

Two weeks later I decide to go to Mike Newton's party. I throw some jeans on and head over. I know both Alice and Jasper will be there. The car ride is short, as I only live a few blocks from Mike's house. When I arrive, people are all over the place. The sky is pitch black, as are the woods surrounding Mike's house. Bright lights shine out onto the yard from the open windows, red cups are already litter the lawn, and music is blaring through the open door.

People are dancing in the living room and there's a beer pong game going. I look in on the game. Jessica and Alice are up, and I catch their eye. I decide to grab a beer before I head over to them.

Alice is standing with Jessica and Lauren. "Hey Alice. Jessica, Lauren." I nod my head in their direction.

Nothing. Alice doesn't say a word. She blantanly ignores me.

"What are you doing here?" Jessica sneers at me. "I _know_ no one invited you."

"I came to see Alice and have some fun, just like everyone else here," I say but there's no conviction in my voice.

I knew that something like this might happen if I came to this party tonight.

"Well, go read your book some where else. No one wants you here; you aren't welcome." Lauren says maliciously. "I don't know why Alice put up with you for so long, but I won't pretend to like you. Alice felt bad for you; that's why she acted like your friend for so long."

"Oooh," Jessica says before she bursts out in laughter.

I am pissed and I wait for Alice to speak up... for her to tell them they are wrong, to tell them we are friends and always will be. I look at Alice to find her laughing right along with the two girls.

Tears form in my eyes and I fight to hold them back. They will not see me cry. My lip quivers and this sends the girls into a fit of laughter.

Just as I turn to walk away a body appears in front of me. It's Jasper and he doesn't look happy. I shove past him and make my way to the stairs. I am hurt and I'm angry. W_ho the hell does Alice think she is?_

"Bella." Jasper calls after me.

I dodge into the first open bedroom. Suddenly I am angry at Jasper and I want to know what happened between him and Alice. "What the hell happened in Texas Jasper?"

"Bella, up until five minutes ago, what did you think happened between Alice and me?" Jasper's eyebrows are pulled together.

"She told me that when she came back to Texas, you ditched her for some other girl. She even saw you on the beach with her."

Jasper lets out a heavy sigh. "I didn't know Alice all that well, but I should have known she would have said something like that. Your reaction to me should have sent up red flags, but I didn't think she was that screwed up." He runs his hands over his face and continues. "Bella, Alice didn't find me with another girl. It was the opposite. I couldn't meet her at the airport because I was working, but we had plans to meet on the beach that night. I was excited to see her, so I went to the beach a little early, and that's when _I_ saw _her_. She was making out with some other guy. I didn't say a word. I just left."

I watch Jasper's face carefully, and the only emotion I see is pain. She hurt him, she hurt me, and Alice didn't give a damn about it. "Then what happened?" I whisper, not sure I want to know.

"She came to my house later that night. She actually had the nerve to be pissed that I stood her up. What she didn't know is I was there and I didn't leave her there alone. I told her what I saw and that I didn't want to ever see her again. That was the last I saw of Alice. When my parents told me we were moving here, I was worried about seeing her everyday. It's been hard fitting in here but you've helped me do that. The fact that Alice never acknowledged me until I spoke to you made it even easier."

It feels like fireworks are going off in my head. Alice lied, which is no surprise given her recent behavior, but the anger I feel toward her mixes with the excitement I feel over Jasper.

I think back on the last few weeks and how things have changed with Alice. At first I tried to talk to her, see if she would listen to me, but she always ignored me. I begin to think our friendship as a whole over. I have been screamed at, cried to, and the amount of texts I received is phenomenal. Then, I was outcast.

As I consider my relationship with Alice I start to think about Jasper. I realize I have subconsciously forced the urge to start something romantic with Jasper down. The urge to kiss Jasper is all I can think about, and at that moment he looks at me.

"C'mon," Jasper says as he stands, "let's get out of here."

I take the hand he holds out and we walk out together. We reach the bottom of the stair case. I pause and Jasper bumps into me. My body rocks forward a bit, but his long, muscular arms wrap around my waist, keeping me up. Alice is standing in front of us; her body is rigid and her hands are on her hips.

In the absence of her bad attitude, tantrums and selfishness I realize how much better off I have been recently. I've smiled more and stressed less. It is hard to believe how I blind I was in the past.

"How does it feel Bella, you know, to be sloppy seconds?" Alice looks at her nicely manicured nails. "I've always been great at sharing, especially with you. If I had known you wanted all my throw aways I would have given you much more. I just gave you more credit than that. My mistake." Alice's eyes are on me and she smiles sweetly.

I want to tell Alice I didn't want any problems with her, but something catches my attention. "Throw aways?" I say to myself, and hold the laughter back. She's just given herself and her lies away.

"How could Jasper be your throw away Alice? You told me, if I'm correct, that he threw _you_ away." A smile forms on my face. Normally I'm not mean, but Alice is asking for it.

We gain the attention of the surrounding people who all seem extremely interested in the confrontation. I stop because, while I enjoy Alice's shock, I also remember the guy who is standing behind me... the one who supposedly threw her away. Our eyes meet as I turn and he leans down. "Don't let her do this again."

Alice is silent as I turn back to her; her face is painted in fear as tears well up in her eyes. "He told you?" Her voice is the softest I have ever heard it.

"Tell me what?" I look directly at Alice and continue. "That you left him? That it was actually you who did the cheating? Yeah, he told me." Jasper tugs my arm, bringing me with him.

"We aren't doing this here, and we aren't doing this with Alice." For the first time I see anger in Jasper's face when he mentions her. "You," he says and stops next to her, "are a lying brat. Stay away from me, and stay away from Bella." Without another word Jasper is walking away, and he pulls me with him.

I follow Jasper through the crowd and right out the front door. Outside, the air is cool and I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I know the truth and I finally stood up to Alice.

Jasper is looking at me with a smile on his face. His eyes are intense and he takes my hand. His other hand reaches up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear but lingers there. His palm cups my cheek. He is focused on my lips as he leans forward slowly.

I can't fight the smile that reaches my eyes, even as his lips touch mine.

I'm excited and happy and I giggle against his mouth.

"What's so funny?" Jasper asks, pulling back to look at me.

"Nothing, I'm just so happy." I lean forward and kiss him again. "I _may_ have been wanting to kiss you for a while. And I'm happy to know the truth about what happened with you two. To know the truth about Alice."

"Well I'm just glad you're happy. And I'm proud of you. You stood up to her without stooping to her level," Jasper whispers as his arms wrap around me.

"Can we get out of here, please?" I ask. I am so finished with all of this drama and want nothing more than to get away from these people.

Jasper nods and we walk toward his car. We both put this in our past and are ready to move forward together.

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**Love it? Hate it? Let me know... **


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